The Heat are currently exploring ways to keep Okaro White on their roster when his second 10-day contract expires, and one avenue the team has looked into involves trading Derrick Williams, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. If Miami can’t find a taker for Williams, releasing him is also something the club will consider, says Jackson.
Williams, who signed a one-year deal with the Heat last summer, has appeared in 24 games this season, making 11 starts. He has averaged 6.1 PPG and 3.0 RPG in those contests, with a career-low .393 FG%, and has fallen out of the rotation in Miami in recent weeks, despite the fact that the team is missing a handful players due to injuries.
The Wizards are among the teams that might have interest in Williams, a source close to the player tells Jackson. But Washington would likely only seriously consider Williams if he were released. Jackson points out that teams below the salary cap floor could also take a look at claiming Williams off waivers if he’s cut, since more than half his $4.598MM salary has already been paid, but his full cap hit would count toward the salary floor.
As for White, he has emerged as a potential keeper for the Heat after having played a key role during the team’s recent winning streak. The rookie forward has averaged 4.6 PPG and 2.9 RPG in seven games (17.1 MPG), with an impressive shooting line of .526/.455/1.000.
White joined the Heat as a 16th man after the team was awarded a hardship exception. Such an exemption is available to clubs who have at least four players out with long-term injuries. Miami will likely continue to meet the criteria to carry a 16th player, since Justise Winslow, Chris Bosh, Josh Richardson, and Josh McRoberts aren’t close to a return.
However, an NBA spokesman confirmed to Jackson that league rules prevent Miami from simply signing White to a rest-of-season deal as a 16th man, meaning a roster move will be required if the club wants to hang onto him. White’s second 10-day deal will expire on Sunday night.
As a heat fan I’m hoping that Pat could flip Derrick Williams and Tyler Johnson for Serge Ibaka. Dion Waiters had made him expendable and Josh Richardson is better with a cheaper price tag. A front court of Ibaka and Whiteside would be a sight to see but truthfully don’t think magic would do it
Or trade Whiteside and sign ibaka in free agency….no way I’m trading Tyler johnson for a couple of months of Ibaka right now. I’d rather eat the money on Derrick Williams, if we cut him and nbody claims him, the way I said I’d pick Okaro White over him during training camp….plus, I’d prefer to play Ibaka at the 5. Our 4 spot has been terrible all season, but now we have James Johnson and Okaro White there. (That sentence was a lot crazier before the season started).
Gotta get rid of Dragic not Johnson
If Derrick williams gets claimed on waivers, would the heat then be able to give Okaro a 3 year deal? Or are they still operating over the cap in that situation, and limited to 2 years?
Teams over the cap are limited to two years for minimum salary deals. The Heat are about $7.4MM over the cap right now, which would mean they’d still be over if Williams were claimed. So yeah, that wouldn’t change anything re: White (besides opening a roster spot, of course).
That kind of sucks lol, but guess it’s similar to what happened with tyler johnson a couple of years ago. Would have been nice to get bird rights, like with Richardson and McGruder
So how can you justify paying the 7th man of the bench 13 million a year. Richardson is clearly better and waiters too. So you’d lose Josh Richardson for Tyler Johnson?
Waiters isn’t better than Tyler Johnson, and TJ only has a 4 or 5 million cap hit next year. You explore trading him at some point, but not for a couple of months of ibaka
Tyler Johnson might have some upside, but could also be a jordan clarkson type bust.. Waiters is playing great right now.. Riley did well stocking guard depth this offseason.
*off
Spurs heat trade
Spurs get derrick williams
Heat get kyle anderson
You must really dislike Kyle Anderson. All your trade proposals involve him.
I dont dislike kyle anderson he is a bright young backup reserve player but derrick williams is more athletic and can score better the kyle… it benefit both teams kyle can playmake for the heat and score yea he is slow..but his midrange game and high basketball iQ is something the heat lacks…derrick can play off the bench and score and play defense..like i said he is more athletic the spurs need a guy like derrick to try and keep up with teams like the warriors,clippers,okc,rockets and offcourse the cavs….
Yoooo heat are all over that. Terrible for the spurs.
Why would they do that, when their main objective is to keep White? They don’t need Anderson, he plays Johnson’s position, SF or a small ball PF.
They’d just get rid of Babbit in that scenario,but it’s a mood point b/c that trade is never happening. I’ll be pretty surprised if williams gets claimed, outside of someone trying to reach salary floor, and I’d be totally shocked if he even gets traded for anything other than some sort of long standing draft rights cap hold by one of those same teams
Williams and maybe a second round pick for Noel or Cauley-Stein. Twin Towers in Miami.
Even Vlade Divac would laugh at that
What you suggest then?
What do you suggest then?
Derrick williams to one of the teams trying to reach the salary floor for draft rights to a player that won’t ever come over…or Derrick williams cut, and if he gets claimed by one of those teams, nice, if not, whatever, just eat the money
Wouldn’t be nice to have Cauley-Stein or Noel here in Miami?? they were trying to trade them not long ago if the Heat puts a good deal on the table they might accept, trades nowadays are crazy.
So much talk of “trade Dragić”… Goran Dragić is way too valuable to get rid of imo. This 7-11 backcourt is good enough to build around. Dragić is outstanding – averaging over 20pts a game, & his price tag is going to look even better when the cap rises again this off-season. He’s a bargain in the new NBA, he’s loyal, and he rarely gets hurt. He provides much needed stability to this team, & it’d have to be one helluva trade for me to get on board. Just my two cents. Now a good trade for Whiteside, as much as I like him, makes more sense to me. Willie Reed is proving again and again that he’s got the chops (& the motor) to hold down the 5. Just sayin.
Thank you. Been saying it for a long time now. They could build around Dragic and the young pieces in free agency, especially if they can trade Whiteside